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POST Voice The Pender-Topsail
ArtExposure! Looking for something for the kids to do this summer? ArtExposure! has art classes and much more. Read about it on page 1C.
Volume 44, No. 33
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Thursday, May 14, 2015
Playoff time Teams from all three Pender County high schools are in the state playoffs. Read about it and more in sports beginning on page 1B.
Burgaw Police chief resigns
Commissioner sworn in
Demetrice Keith took her place as a Pender County Commissioner during Monday’s board meeting. She was sworn in by District Court Judge James Faison III and will serve out the unexpired term of former Commissioner Jimmy Tate, who resigned in April to accept a promotion at James Sprunt Community College which required residency in Duplin County. Keith will be up for reelection in November, 2016. “The budget is going to be a challenge for me,” Keith said. “This is my first time having to work with such a huge budget, but I’m ready for the job. Keith said Chairman David Williams and the other members of the board have been helpful in getting her “up to speed” on the issues facing the board. “I’ve been getting emails and they have given me a booklet on the items. I’ve been reading that trying to catch up,” Keith said.
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
Montrina Sutton particularly with a police chief. We are casting a wide net to get as many applicants as we can.” McEwen says law enforcement is Burgaw is in good hands. “In this process of evaluating the Police Department, the first priority has been making sure the safety needs of the community have been met,” McEwen said. “At no time during this process has any safety aspect of the town been neglected. The safety needs of the community will not go lacking.” McEwen says the Pender County Sheriff ’s Office is continuing to help cover shifts in Burgaw while the town is working to hire new officers. “The Sheriff has been very helpful in allowing deputies to cover shifts,” McEwen said. Deputies who cover shifts in Burgaw do so on their time off and the town pays the county for their services.
Beverage distributor to locate in Pender Commerce Park $10 million investment expected From Staff Reports Just as Acme Smoked Fish Corporation ramps up production at its major new facility in Pender Commerce Park, a second tenant is now unveiling plans for a 160,000 square-foot warehouse and distribution center in the park. The Pender County Board of Commissions approved Monday the proposed sale of 15 acres at the park to Empire Distributors of North Carolina, Inc. The company distributes beer, wine and other beverages. The land sale will total $450,000. David Williams, chairman of the Pender County Board of Commission, says the proposed sale is evidence that the
county’s investment at Pender Commerce Park is now yielding measurable dividends. “We’re excited to welcome the park’s second industrial resident and the new jobs and capital investment this company will bring Pender County,” Williams said. “This is a good deal that is just a sale of property – there are no incentives involved with the sale. This will result in an increase in the county tax base and more jobs. They will invest $10 million in the building, with 25 employees relocating here and 25 new hires.” The property sale will be finalized following a 10-day
Continued on page 2A
Keith sworn in to BOC By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
Search begins for replacement Montrina Sutton has resigned as Burg aw Police Chief. In a press release dated May 8, Burgaw Town Manager Chad McEwen announced Sutton’s resignation effective May 6, following two weeks of disciplinary suspension which ended May 5. McEwen says Sutton was required to give two weeks notice for the resignation, and was given two weeks of paid administrative leave during the notice period. For mer Burg aw Police Chief Wayne Briley is serving as acting administrative chief for the Burgaw Police Department. “I met with her Thursday (May 7) and we talked. After speaking with the commissioners, the decision was made to offer administrative leave and get Wayne Briley back in to help with the transition. We offered the administrative leave to the two police employees who were part of the reduction in force two weeks ago,” McEwen said. The town is working to fill the police chief position. “We have started the advertisement process state-wide for a police chief and we are receiving applications, phone calls, and interest,” McEwen said. “It will be a very deliberate process as we do with all department heads – but
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Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
District Court Judge James Faison III administers the oath to Demetrice Keith, who stands with her two sons. Keith took her seat on the Pender County Board of Comissioners Monday.
Pender, Trask high schools, Burgaw Middle
Students share stories about home By Rochelle Whiteside Special to the Post & Voice We, the people who breathe the air and walk the ground of this little spot on earth called Pender County, share many things. We sleep (often not enough) and eat (sometimes too much) and go about our lives feeling happy and sad, energetic and lazy, sympathetic and intolerant … We work and rest…But when we do these things, we do them in our own special ways…We have our own special family traditions and rituals, from holiday observances and celebrations to the comfort food, often prepared and shared by someone we love and who loves us. These feelings, events and physical things combine to make up the place we call home. This is the subject of our spring production for Pender High, Heide Trask and Burgaw Middle Schools. I AM HOME is an original play, written by students, all about themselves, their ex-
- Performances May 15-16 at 7 p.m. May 17 at 2 p.m. periences and their feelings. And central to all this is their home. Funded by a N.C. Arts
Council Grass Roots Grant, s t u d e n t s f ro m a l l t h re e schools attended workshops with renowned poet, Glenis Redmond, wrote poems about themselves, and with a Bright Ideas Grant from Four County Electric Membership, they added some special effects – live music by local musicians, and 50 singing, dancing
Continued on page 8A
Photo contributed
Singing, dancing grannies Alicia Peer, Brandy Britt and Sarah Casey-Summers are part of the I AM HOME production.
TS Ana’s visit leaves rain, but little else By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Tropical Storm Ana brought heavy rain and wind to Pender County last weekend, dumping more than four inches of rain across the county. Rain bands from the unusual early season storm began to move across Pender County Saturday, but the heaviest rain and wind gusts came Sunday as Ana made landfall near Myrtle Beach. County Emergency Management officials kept a close eye on TS Ana, but did not activate the Emergency Operations Center or open any shelters. Pender County Assistant Fire Marshal Tommy Batson said aside from a few trees down, little if any damage was associated with the storm. Topsail Beach officials held their breath as Ana took aim at the town’s newly-renourished beach. After the clouds cleared, reports from Topsail Beach indicate the beach was left undamaged. “With our renourishment project finishing up about two weeks ago, we had a fingers crossed. But we couldn’t have
Continued on page 3A
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